North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) is an Islamic organization that operates as a form of a conventional trust or endowment program that follows Islamic law-compliant financial practices known as “waqf.” ¹

NAIT holds title to Islamic-affiliated properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars in at least 42 states. ¹ According to a report from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), NAIT holds the title to more than 300 mosques, or approximately 27 percent of the estimated 1,200 mosques in the United States. ^{2 3}

In 2007, North American Islamic Trust was one of 246 people and organizations that were named as “unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers” in a 2007 federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) that alleged that HLF provided support to Islamic terrorist organization Hamas. ^{4 5 6 7 6} Federal prosecutors alleged that NAIT was among the “unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers” classified as “individuals/entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood.” ⁸

History and Leadership

North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) was first formed in the 1970s as larger numbers of Muslim immigrants began to arrive in the United States. In 1973, the Muslim Students Association of America and Canada helped launch NAIT as a trust organization. ⁹ NAIT received tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1976. ¹⁰

As of August 2024, Maqsood Quadri is the executive director of NAIT. ¹¹ Gaddoor Saidi is the chairman of NAIT. ¹²

The organization is headquartered in Hometown, Illinois. ¹³

Background

North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) is an Islamic religious organization in the United States that operates as a form of a conventional trust or endowment program that follows Islamic law-compliant financial practices, called waqf. ¹

NAIT aims to shield Islamic centers’ properties from potential legal liabilities, pool American Muslim communities’ financial assets, and offer Sharia-compliant financial products. By holding deeds to Islamic centers’ properties, NAIT can ensure that mosques are not sold or replaced for other uses. ^{14 1}

Real Estate Holdings

North American Islamic Trust serves as a record owner of properties, including mosques, as a trustee for local mosques and Islamic centers but does not manage the day-to-day operations of these institutions. NAIT is unable to dispose of these properties in a conventional sense. ^{15 16}

NAIT properties must serve Islamic objectives as prescribed at the inception of acquisition. This perpetual status as communal properties is a key element of NAIT’s Islamic financial doctrines. ¹

As of September 2024, NAIT owns the title to properties collectively worth several hundred million dollars in 42 states. ¹ According a report from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), NAIT holds to the title of more than 300 mosques, or approximately 27 percent of the estimated 1,200 mosques in the United States. NAIT has also owned deeds to more than one-fourth of mosques in the United States. ^{2 3}

Activities

North American Islamic Trust advocates for the expansion of halal foods and services across the United States through interactions with elected officials, government agencies, private organizations, public sector entities, and academic institutions. The organization also hosts fundraisers and webinars for Muslims to organize in support of various policy initiatives. ¹⁷

The organization encourages financial giving to support mosques and Islamic schools as a part of the Sharia-compliant ¹ Islamic Center Cooperative Fund (ICCF). NAIT established the ICCF to assist the support Islamic centers and support the completion of Islamic centers and Islamic schools around the United States. ¹⁸

NAIT supports American Trust Publications, which publishes books to support Muslims in North America. The publications include textbooks, reference works, youth literature, and other adult-focused literature. ¹⁹

NAIT is also associated with the Islamic Society of North America, Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada, Islamic Centers Waqf, the American Halal Institute, ¹⁴ and the for-profit Imam Fund. ¹

The organization claims that the George W. Bush administration began a “systematic targeting of American Muslim organizations and charities,” including the controversial Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, for allegedly providing material support to Hamas. ²⁰

Controversies

In 2007, North American Islamic Trust was one of 246 people and organizations that were named as “unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers” in a 2007 federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF). The lawsuit alleged that HLF provided support to Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. ^{4 5 6} NAIT, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) were three of the organizations named as unindicted co-conspirators in the lawsuit. ²⁰ Federal prosecutors alleged that NAIT was among the “unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers” classified as “individuals/entities who are and/or were members of the US Muslim Brotherhood.” ⁸

NAIT was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in its lawsuit to unseal the HLF lawsuit and clear its name. ²¹ Following this appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit acknowledged that a failure to seal the co-conspirator list was a violation of NAIT’s legal rights. However, the U.S. government also found that there was “ample evidence to establish the association” of NAIT, CAIR, and ISNA with Hamas and declined to remove it from the co-conspirator list. ^{7 6}

Funding

North American Islamic Trust receives its funding from donations and grants. As a religious organization, it does not file tax returns with the IRS. ²²

Previously, NAIT has received more than $10,000 from 34 separate taxpayer-funded groups between 1998 and 2014, despite its ties to the Texas investigation that allegedly tied the group with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. ⁶

1. “About NAIT.” North American Islamic Trust. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/about.
2. King, Robert. “Islamic leader praises tolerance.” Tampa Bay times. December 23, 2003. Updated September 2, 2005. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/12/23/islamic-leader-praises-tolerance/.
3. “North American Islamic Trust.” Philanthropy Roundtable. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac/north-american-islamic-trust/.
4. “Unindicted Co-conspirators and the Presumption of Innocence.” ACLU. June 18, 2008. Accessed September 1, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/documents/unindicted-co-conspirators-and-presumption-innocence.
5. “ACLU Statement Regarding False Accusations Against Islamic Society Of North America.” ACLU. January 18, 2009. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-statement-regarding-false-accusations-against-islamic-society-north-america.
6. “Islamic group once tied to terror trial received thousands in farm subsidies, without growing crops.” Fox News. February 1, 2014. Updated December 20, 2015. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/islamic-group-once-tied-to-terror-trial-received-thousands-in-farm-subsidies-without-growing-crops.
7. Gerstein, Josh. “Judge’s ruling on Islamic groups as ‘unindicted co-conspirators’ made public.” Politico. November 19, 2010. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2010/11/judges-ruling-on-islamic-groups-as-unindicted-co-conspirators-made-public-030922.
8. ATTACHMENT A: List of Unindicted Co-conspirators and/or Joint Venturers. United States of America vs. Holy Land Foundation et al. Investigative Project on Terrorism. Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/423.pdf
9. “About NAIT.” North American Islamic Trust. Accessed August 31, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/about.
10. “North American Islamic Trust Inc.” Candid. Guidestar. Accessed August 292, 2024. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/31-0900444.
11. “Management Staff.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/management.
12. “Board of Trustees.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/board.
13. “North American Islamic Trust, Inc. – NAIT.” NAIT Facebook Page. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/naitofficial/about.
14. “Home.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php.
15. ^[1] “About NAIT.” North American Islamic Trust. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/about.
16. “About.” Islamic Center of Greater Miami. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.miamimuslim.org/about-us.
17. “With Current Economic Crisis and other factors, Halal Advocacy Need YOUR Help!” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://nait.net/index.php/resources/halal-advocacy.
18. “Islamic Centers Cooperative Fund.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/islamic-centers-cooperative.
19. “American Trust Publications.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/american-trust-publications1.
20. “Islamophobia and NAIT.” NAIT. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.nait.net/index.php/about-nait/islamophopia-and-nait
21. “ACLU Statement Regarding False Accusations Against Islamic Society of North America.” American Civil Liberties Union. January 18, 2009. Accessed September 1, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-statement-regarding-false-accusations-against-islamic-society-north-america.
22. “North American Islamic Trust Inc.” Candid. Guidestar. Accessed August 29, 2024. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/31-0900444.